


Bull and Ram

by no_one_in_particular



Series: Into the Wild [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-17
Updated: 2013-02-17
Packaged: 2017-11-29 15:32:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/688556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_one_in_particular/pseuds/no_one_in_particular
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something has to give.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bull and Ram

Steve is sucking Tony off. Slowly. Tony's leaning back against the headboard, legs spread impossibly wide, and Steve is lying between his thighs, mouth over his dick. He's been at it for ages now, his jaw aching and the muscles in his neck burning. He's lost track of how many times he's brought Tony right to the edge of orgasm and stopped, waiting for him to come back down before starting again. He doesn't know how long he's licked and stroked and sucked.

Tony was talking earlier, dirty at first, arrogant, then more and more desperate. He's reduced to noises now, no words, just moans and panty little gasps. His hands are twisted in the sheets and he's got his eyes shut tight. He won't look at Steve anymore, can't bear to look at him.

Steve can't have that. He pulls off Tony's cock with a loud, wet slurp and reaches up to touch his face, wipes at the tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "Tony, look at me."

Tony shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut tighter, whispers in a voice full of gravel, "God, please. Please, just let me." 

Steve slides up his body and kisses him. "Open your eyes and look at me, and I'll let you." He pushes his hands into Tony's sweaty hair and tilts his face up. "Just open your eyes ok?"

Tony slowly opens his eyes, blinking as though the light hurts. He looks at Steve and exhales raggedly. Steve can imagine what he looks like, how swollen his mouth is, how dark his eyes must be. He tightens one hand in Tony's hair and strokes down his face with the other before raising it to his mouth and licking from the heel of his palm to the tips of his fingers. Tony watches, pupils blown, breath stuttering, as Steve's tongue sweeps over his hand.

Steve grabs Tony's cock and pumps. Tony moans a little and starts to close his eyes again.

Steve tugs at his hair and whispers in his ear, "Don't close your eyes. Want you to look at me."

Tony whimpers but opens his eyes and looks down at his cock sliding through Steve's fist and shudders. 

Steve presses a kiss against Tony's temple and whispers, "Tell me what you need, Tony." He releases Tony's hair so he can lift his chin and see his eyes, see how far gone he is. "Whatever you need. I'll give it to you."

Tony's hips work in counterpoint to Steve's fist. "Harder." He presses back against the headboard, but keeps his eyes on Steve. "Harder, and I need... something. Give me something, a finger, anything."

Steve grips Tony's cock harder, speeds up his rhythm. He lets go of Tony's chin and pushes two fingers into Tony's mouth. His own neglected cock pulses against his belly as Tony closes his mouth and sucks on his fingers, his tongue working against them.

He pulls his fingers from Tony's mouth and reaches between his legs, looks into his eyes and whispers, "Come, Tony," as he pushes them into Tony's ass.

Tony does as he's told. His back arches as though he's been shocked and he lets out a long, agonized moan and shoots all over both of them. It goes on and on, and Steve watches, completely entranced. He strokes him through it, finger fucking him and whispering encouragement that Tony can't possibly hear over his own wailing until he feels Tony try to twist away from his hands and he knows he can't take any more. 

Steve lets him go. He grips the headboard behind Tony's head and leans over him, just looking at him for a moment. Tony's a wreck, still shaking and jerking, his cock still twitching. He's sweaty and splattered and he's even drooled a little, lips and chin shiny with it. And he's still looking at Steve, hasn't stopped looking at Steve, eyes liquid and wide. Steve's never seen him look so open, so vulnerable, and he can't look away, even as he swipes a hand through the mess on Tony's belly and finally, finally, takes his own cock in hand and jerks off over him. He watches Tony watch him come, eyes still wide and unshuttered, breathing Steve's name under his breath.

When he can't hold himself up any longer, he collapses against Tony and immediately feels himself sliding through the warm mess between them. He drops a quick kiss on Tony's throat, then rolls off the bed and walks into the bathroom. He cleans himself off, then rinses the towel in warm water, wrings it out, and brings it back into the bedroom. 

Tony hasn't moved, except to finally close his eyes. Someone else might think he was sleeping, but Steve knows how he breathes when he sleeps, knows that he's awake and waiting for him to come back. Steve sits down on the bed beside him and wipes his face with the towel. Tony makes small, pleased noises as he swipes the towel over his neck and down his chest, over the arc reactor. He cleans his belly and between his legs. He takes the towel back to the bathroom and tosses it in the tub, then comes back and plucks the sheets from Tony's still-fisted hands and rubs his fingers until they relax, works his thumbs in circles in his palms, moves his legs together and massages his hips until he sighs, slides down on the bed, and reaches for him.

Steve lies down beside him, hands still roaming over Tony's skin. Tony is hardly ever still and pliant like this. It never lasts long. 

Tony takes a deep breath and mutters, "What time is it?" 

Steve twists his neck, craning to see the clock on the bedside table behind him without turning away from Tony. "It's almost 9:30." 

Tony tenses in Steve's arms and his eyes open. "Fuck. They're probably already home." He sighs. "Think I could sneak out of here without anyone seeing? I'm starving."

Steve rolls his eyes and pulls him closer. "How about we both just walk out of here and go to the kitchen to get something to eat? Let's stop sneaking around."

Tony pulls away and gives him the look he usually reserves for idiots. "You want to tell them that we're fucking?"

Steve takes a moment to bid a silent farewell to the peace he was feeling not thirty seconds ago and says, "I want to tell them that we're in a relationship. I'm not talking about calling a press conference, just telling the team that we're together. I think Natasha and Bruce already know anyway."

"What? Why? What did you tell them?" 

"I didn't tell them anything. I didn't have to. Do you really think you can get anything by Natasha? And Bruce is like you -- he figures things out.” He’s getting louder, can’t seem to stop it. “Heck, they probably all know because Thor and Clint aren't stupid either and, if you'll think back, you were wailing like a siren about fifteen minutes ago. There's a good chance they heard, and they'll figure out I wasn't killing you when they see you walking around the house!"

Tony glares at Steve. "This isn't anyone else's business. And why the hell are you calling this a relationship?"

"What do you call it?" Steve isn't really sure he wants the answer.

Tony sits up and turns away. "I don't know. Fuck buddies, I guess."

Steve isn't really surprised, but it hurts anyway. "You're wrong."

Tony snorts a laugh and says, "Believe me, it's best for everyone involved. I can do friends or I can do fuck buddies. I can't do both and I definitely can't do relationships."

"What about Pepper? You were with her."

Tony's voice is ice when he speaks. "Yeah. Did you notice how well that turned out?"

Steve exhales. "There were things she couldn't handle. She loved you. She still loves you, which is not the worst way a relationship can end up." He rolls over closer to Tony. "And those things she couldn't handle? I'm already living them. I don't have to accept anything new because we're the same that way."

Tony turns so he's looking at Steve. He looks terrified. "We're not the same."

Before Steve can answer, Tony is up and heading for the door. Steve rolls off the bed and follows, but by the time he gets to the door, Tony is walking down the hall. Naked. Past a stunned Clint.

Clint looks at Steve and yells, "Pants! For the love of all that's holy, will you put some damn pants on?" He puts his hands over his face, spins around, and stumbles blindly down the hallway muttering about his eyes, his eyes, his goddamn eyes.

Steve steps back into his room and leans out, yelling after Tony to stop, to come back. He doesn't.

 

By the time Steve gets some clothes on, Tony is nowhere to be found. He runs through the house looking for him before coming to the inescapable conclusion that he's left. Steve doesn't bother to ask JARVIS where he's gone. He won't learn anything that way. He knows he's going to have to go out looking for him. It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but there are a few places he can try. He hopes he'll get lucky.

He's walking back to his bedroom to get his jacket when he hears Clint's voice coming from the kitchen.

"I'm just saying there should be a "No Naked" rule in common areas! I don't think that's unreasonable!"

Steve walks into the room and everyone turns to look at him. Clint looks embarrassed, as does Bruce. Thor is beaming at him. Natasha looks amused.

Steve turns to Clint. "I owe you an apology. I'm sorry that happened."

Clint shakes his head and looks at the table. "It's not so bad. Just keep it in your own room, ok?"

Steve nods. "It won't happen again. I hate to apologize and run, but I have to go look for Tony." 

Natasha reaches out and touches his arm. It's a rare gesture from her, and it stops him in his tracks. She asks, "Don't you think it might be best to let him have some time? He'll come back." 

Steve shakes his head. "I have to go after him. If you know anywhere I can look or if you know how to get JARVIS to give up his location, I'd appreciate it, but don’t try to talk me out of it."

Natasha regards him for a moment then sighs. "I don't know where he is, but I might have a way to find out."

Clint looks up for the first time since Steve has entered the room. "You sure that's a good idea?"

Steve is lost. "Sure what's a good idea?"

Natasha shrugs, the gesture somehow elegant when she does it. "It'll mean calling in some favors, but I think I can get the information."

Steve still doesn't understand. "Get the information from where? Do you know a way to get it from JARVIS?"

Natasha shakes her head. "No, I'm talking about Nick Fury's surveillance. It's a lot easier to crack than JARVIS."

"Why do you think Nick Fury is watching Tony?"

Clint is finally looking at him and it's a bit pitying. "He's watching all of us. You know that, right?"

Steve gapes at him and then looks around the room. Bruce and Thor are giving him that same pitying look.

Bruce is the one to break the silence. "It's what he does, Steve. He's probably not going to do anything with the intel he gathers, but he's definitely keeping tabs on all of us. It's one of the reasons we all live here."

Steve doesn't want to believe this. "We live here because Tony asked us to move in. He had all this room."

Natasha shakes her head. "The space is the least of it. Living with Tony and JARVIS means that what goes on in this house stays in this house. SHIELD has a lot of resources but they can't get past Tony Stark's security. We have privacy here."

Steve sinks into a chair and tries to wrap his head around it. "So I'm just an idiot."

Clint punches him in the arm. "Well, yeah, but not because of this. You're sleeping with Tony Stark for Christ's sake." He flashes a grin and Steve can't help but smile back.

Thor glowers at Clint. "You should not speak ill. We should be happy for our Shield Brothers that they have found comfort with each other."

Clint rolls his eyes at Thor. "I would prefer not to think too much about what they've found with each other." He holds up his hands before Thor can berate him. "I'm glad if they're happy, but I've gotten as up close and personal with their comfort as I want to."

Thor grins and reaches over the table to clap him on the shoulder. "You were intimidated by their nakedness. I understand. We shall not speak of it any more."

Clint puffs up. "Hey, I was not intimidated! That is a vicious, vicious lie! Why would you say I was intimidated?"

Natasha holds up a hand and gives him a look that cuts the outburst short and then turns back to Steve. "To get back to the original topic, do you want me to try to track down Tony?"

Steve exhales. "How are you going to find out where he is? I don't think going to Fury is a good idea."

Natasha smiles. "I don’t have to go to him. There are people monitoring surveillance equipment and people following us and people writing and reviewing the reports that the people monitoring and tailing us put together. I just have to track down someone in the chain that owes me or fears me." She tilts her head, and her smile widens. It's kind of scary. "It'll take about ten minutes or so."

Steve thinks about what she's said. "It's that easy? Why don't I believe that?"

Natasha's smile doesn't falter, but something flickers in her eyes. "Fury will eventually find out. There's very little chance that he won't, and he’ll want to know why we were looking for Tony."

Steve considers that. "Okay. We'll worry about that when it happens. I'll tell him why if he wants to know so badly."

Clint lifts his hand. "Oh my god, can I be there when you tell him? Please?"

Steve smacks him on the back of his head and nods to Natasha, who walks out of the kitchen. True to her word, she's back within ten minutes.

"He's at a club about thirty minutes away. Clint, Thor, and I are coming with you."

Steve starts to object, but Natasha cuts him off. "Trust me. We aren't going to interfere, but you need the back up if you're going to insist on going after him in a public place. We’re just going to help give you guys some space."

Steve looks at her for a moment and then nods tightly. "I'll just get my jacket."

Natasha turns to Bruce as Steve walks out of the kitchen. "Don't mean to leave you out, but I'm guessing a club isn't a good time for you.

Bruce shakes his head. "You're not wrong, but you should call me if you need anything. I don’t particularly want to take the Other Guy dancing, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.” He smiles at her. “I’ll even put up bail."

Steve comes back into the room, pulling on his jacket as he walks. “Nobody is going to need bail.”

Bruce nods, but says, “Well, the fund is available. Just in case.”

Steve stops cold. “There’s a fund?”

Clint grabs his arm and pulls him forward. “Don’t worry about it. It’s also for pizza and Girl Scout cookies. It’s just that there’s enough in there to get a couple of us out of jail should the need arise.”

Steve lets Clint pull him along. He starts to ask if the need ever has arisen, but thinks better of it. Clint will tell him if he asks, and he truly does not need to know. Not right now anyway.

Just before they can get out the door, JARVIS stops them. “I have a message from Mr. Stark. Shall I play it?”

Steve pivots and walks back to the table where Bruce is still sitting, the others following behind him. “A message? When did you receive a message from Tony?”

“The message was received approximately thirty seconds ago. Do you wish to hear it?”

“Hold up, JARVIS,” Bruce jumps into the conversation. “Is this message for Steve? I mean, should the rest of us leave?” He ignores the dirty look Clint gives him.

“I believe Sir meant it for everyone. If it were a private message, he would have sent it to Captain Rogers’ personal phone.”

Steve waves his hand about in an impatient gesture. “That’s fine, JARVIS. Just play it.”

Tony’s voice filled the room. “Oh. My. God. I cannot believe that a couple of you are actually spies. You really didn’t think I would have JARVIS alert me if you were coming after me? I’m not angry, just disappointed. Tsk tsk, children. I really don’t feel like talking to any of you right now, but I don’t want you to worry, so you can expect me home…oh, let’s see; it’s around ten now, so we’ll say… whenever I fucking feel like it. Good luck prying more info out of Fury’s minions. Ta.”

There’s no click to end the message. Steve always seems to be waiting for clicks at the end of conversations that never come now that communication is digital. He waits for a few seconds, just to make sure there isn’t more. 

JARVIS is the first to break the silence. “I’m sorry, Captain. Sir can be a very stubborn man.”

Steve shakes his head. “I’m aware.” He starts walking for the door again. “I’m pretty stubborn, too.”

Once again, the others follow him. Bruce comes as far as the door and yells after them that he’ll call if he hears anything else from Tony. Natasha catches Steve’s eye and motions to her car, and they all head for it.

They get settled in the car, or as settled as they can. Natasha’s car isn’t small, but Thor still has to contort to fit in the back seat. He doesn’t complain about it though, just squeezes in next to Clint. The front seat doesn’t suit Steve much better. He doesn’t have enough legroom and keeps banging his knees on the underside of the dashboard. 

Natasha puts the key in the ignition and turns to Steve. “I have to ask one more time. Are you sure that going after him is the right thing to do?”

Steve wiggles in his seat, trying to get comfortable. “We have to deal with each other. Things go wrong when we don’t. Everything gets twisted.” Steve reaches over and turns the key in the ignition and looks at Natasha. “I need to go after him, and he needs to know that I’m going to go after him, so I’m going to try to find him.”

Natasha nods at him and pulls out her phone. She dials a number and puts it to her ear. After a second or two, she says, “He bolted, just as expected. You have a new location for me?”

Steve is surprised as he listens to the conversation, but he knows he shouldn’t be. This is what she does. 

Natasha hangs up her phone and puts it back in her pocket. “He’s on the road. I’ll get a call when he stops.” She puts the car in reverse and turns her attention to driving.

Clint pipes up from his tiny corner in the back seat, “I feel I should ask what kind of scene we’re expecting. Is this going to be a big blow up? ‘Cause that could be bad if he’s in a crowded place.”

Steve sighs and looks at Clint in the rearview mirror. “Honestly, I don’t know. I plan to try talking him into leaving with us as quickly and quietly as possible, but you know Tony doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do without a fight.”

Clint nods. “Yeah, I’ve met him. Hell, I once watched him drink spoiled milk just so he wouldn’t have to admit it was bad and go get more. I guess I’m wondering if you’ve got a plan or if we’re going to be pushing people back from an Immovable Object, Irresistible Force Grudge Match for the next few hours.”

Steve shakes his head and looks out the window. “I just plan to talk to him. That’s all I’ve got.”

Thor claps him on the shoulder and squeezes. “Then that is what you will do, and we will help however we can.”

Steve looks back to the rearview and sees Clint nod. Natasha doesn’t say anything, but presses the gas a little harder and gives him a sideways smile without taking her eyes off the road. Steve takes a deep breath, the tension in his chest easing up a little, and leans back into his seat.

Natasha gets a call directing them to a bar. It’s not a Tony Stark kind of place. It’s surrounded by warehouses, seedy and dark, and, frankly, there’s a smell, a sort of sewer-like smell that no one wants to analyze too carefully. The building is set in the dead center of a massive parking lot, too large for the small bar. They sit in the car while Steve takes a moment to think. He considers the bar and then asks Natasha to start the car again.

“Change your mind?” There’s no judgment in her voice. She’s just asking.

“No. I just want to find Tony’s car. Drive around the lot.”

They find the forest green Shelby Cobra 427, a recent acquisition and Tony’s current favorite whenever Happy isn’t driving him, in a dark corner of the parking lot, sitting crooked across two spaces. There’s a graffiti-covered wall in front of the car, separating the lot from the warehouse area beyond, and a broken street lamp just behind it that keeps flickering on and off. Natasha parks a short distance away, and they all wait for Steve to say something.

He stares at the car and murmurs under his breath, “It’s kind of underhanded…”

Clint leans forward and taps him on the arm. “Would you like to share with the group?”

Steve shakes his head. “I don’t think so. It’s a bad idea.”

Natasha frowns. “Why not bounce it off us anyway? Can’t hurt just to let us hear it.”

Steve glances at her, then looks back at the car. “I was just thinking that I could send you guys into the club and wait out here for him to see you and come running out.”

Clint nods. “That’s a good plan, but maybe just one of us? If he sees all three of us, he’ll wonder why we’re here and you aren’t.”

Natasha is nodding as well. “It should be me. Thor would be the easiest to spot, but he’s a lot more likely to not want to talk to me.”

Steve holds up his hands. “Hold up, guys. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I think it’s probably better if I just go in and find him.”

Clint looks at him. “Why? That’s much more likely to turn messy.”

Steve shrugs and looks down. “It just doesn’t seem fair. I’m trying to be upfront and direct.”

Clint grabs him by the back of the neck and shakes him a little. “You are upfront, upstanding, and upright. Don’t worry about it. This is a good plan. Tash chases him out, and Thor and I hang near the door and make sure nobody else heads for this part of the lot. It’s good for everyone involved.”

Steve shakes out of Clint’s grip and looks at Thor, who nods at him. He looks at Natasha, who gives him the look she saves for those times when he’s supposed to be seeing something obvious. 

“Okay, fine.” He smiles when they all visibly snap to attention. “What about Fury’s people? They’re here, right?”

Natasha is getting out of the car. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll stop by and say hi on the way in. They’ll back off a little once we make it obvious we know exactly where they are.” 

Natasha strides off toward the bar. Steve decides that he’ll wait behind a van parked a few spaces down from Tony’s car. He tells Thor and Clint, who take off toward the building after promising to text him as soon as they see Tony heading his way.

Steve steps behind the van. He worries for a split second that he might set off an alarm, then notices the driver’s side door is navy and the rest of the van is burnt orange, although the whole thing has plenty of rust and some duct tape. He stops worrying about an alarm, but he’s careful about actually touching the van. The serum almost definitely protects him from tetanus, but still-–better safe than sorry.

Steve’s phone chimes at him as he receives a text from Clint. “The target is on the move.” Another chime. “Fast. Wonder what Tash did?”

Steve puts his phone back in his jacket and peeks around the van to see Tony coming. He is moving fast, not running but close. What did Natasha do?

No time to find out right now. Tony is almost to his car, and Steve is slipping out from behind the van into his wake. Just as Tony opens the door, Steve steps up behind him and slams it shut.

Tony doesn’t turn around, doesn’t try to open the door again, just heaves a deep sigh and says, “Oh fuck. I’m not going to look. I’m just going to hope this is a mugging.”

Steve keeps his hand on the door. “Sorry to disappoint you. We need to talk.”

Tony laughs a little. “Don’t you think you should give me a choice in that, Cap?”

Steve leans against the car so he’s looking at Tony’s profile. Tony stays where he is. He doesn’t look at him. “I can’t give you a choice. You have to make one.”

“That should be on a greeting card. Hallmark would love it. Or maybe one of those animal posters at the dentist’s office.” Tony’s shoulders lift as he chuckles. “So if I choose to get in this car and drive away, you’ll let me?”

Steve shakes his head even though Tony isn’t looking at him. “I get to make choices, too.”

Tony turns his head and sneers, “That’s it? What you say goes? That doesn’t really leave me much room for choices, does it?” 

Steve pushes away from the car and leans forward into Tony’s face. “Were you giving me a choice when you walked away like that? You don’t get to act wounded and wronged when you’re behaving like a selfish brat!”

Tony’s backing away from him, moving around the car. Steve’s letting him, but he’s following and staying close. “Even now you’re running away instead of just talking to me!”

“And what does that tell you? Are you too stupid to take a hint?”

Steve has to laugh at that. “Everyone is stupid compared to you. Doesn’t mean I don’t know the score.”

Tony comes to a stop. He’s made it all the way around the car and he looks like he’s going to bolt. He can’t outrun Steve though and he knows it. “You don’t know anything.”

Steve moves forward and puts his hands on the car on either side of Tony, bracketing him with his arms. “You going to put me wise then? Tell me all the things I don’t know, Tony.”

Tony laughs, a sharp, bitter bark. “I don’t have time to tell you everything you don’t know. Why don’t you stick to the things you’re good at: giving orders, taking orders, and ignoring everything that doesn’t fit into your perfect world view?”

Oh, that’s it. “Perfect world? What perfect world? My world is _gone_ , Tony. I’m doing my best to live in yours, but it sure as hell isn’t perfect!”

Tony looks pale, but maybe it’s the sickly, flickering light from the street lamp. His mouth works for a moment, unnatural and awkward because Tony Stark never gropes for words. He finally settles for, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Steve leans into his face. “You think?”

Tony tries to lean back, but there’s nowhere to go. “Can’t you see this won’t work? Why won’t you just give it up?”

Steve takes a deep breath and gathers his thoughts, then speaks right into Tony’s ear. “One of us is going to have to convince the other. I want you to believe that you mean more to me than just a warm body. I want you to believe that you can trust me like you trust Rhodey or Pepper, that I won’t let you down.” Steve presses a little closer, breathing in the smell of Tony’s hair, shampoo and salt and a faint hint of motor oil. “I’m not going to lose anyone else, Tony. I can’t.” Steve waits for a moment, but Tony doesn’t say anything, so Steve continues. “Or you can try to convince me that you don’t feel anything for me.” He breathes hotly into Tony’s ear and feels him shudder. “You think you can make me believe it?”

Tony takes his own deep breath, straightens up, and pushes into Steve, shark smile spreading slowly over his face. “Why do we have to mess with the status quo at all?” He arches his back and grinds against Steve’s crotch. He whispers. “Haven’t we been having a good time?”

Steve grabs Tony’s hips, pins him to the car with his body and ruts against him. Steve’s hard, has been since this conversation began, and even through the two layers of denim between them, he can feel Tony’s cock, rock hard and straining against his jeans. He looks into Tony’s face and sees that he’s still smiling, and Steve meets it with one of his own. He doesn’t know what it looks like, but it feels sharky, predatory. 

Tony’s smile falters, and his hips stutter. Steve slips a hand into the back of Tony’s jeans and grabs his ass as he mouths at Tony’s neck on the spot high up under his ear that‘s so damn sensitive. Tony digs his fingers into Steve’s ribs hard and gasps, “Didn’t take you long to get with the program, did it?”

Steve pulls back and smiles again, running his free hand under Tony’s shirt to his nipple, rubbing and pinching. “You think you’re distracting me. It’s not working, Tony.” Tony looks equal parts confused and aroused. 

Steve leans forward to kiss him. He teases, barely opening his lips and dipping his tongue just inside Tony’s mouth and pulling away before Tony can deepen the kiss. Tony makes a greedy, frustrated noise and tries to pull him closer.

Steve pulls his hand out of the back of Tony’s pants and strokes around his hip to open his fly. He runs his fingers over Tony’s underwear, lightly outlining his cock and cupping his balls. He grips him lightly through the soft cotton and rubs his thumb over the damp spot at the head. He gives Tony’s nipple a sharp pinch to get his attention and whispers in his ear, “Getting back on topic, can you convince me that you don’t feel anything for me?”

Tony’s head snaps up and he growls, “Right now I hate your fucking guts. Move your hand and maybe I’ll change my mind.”

Tony’s rocking from side to side against the car, trying desperately to get some friction. Steve pulls his hand out from under his shirt and pins his hip hard against the door. “Try again, Tony. You’re not convincing me of anything.”

Tony wheezes out what might be a laugh. It’s a strange, strangled sound. “This is beneath you, you know. Extorting some statement out of me with sex? That’s pretty low.”

Steve pulls Tony’s underwear down so he can stroke his dick without anything else in the way. Tony throws his head back and moans when he feels it. Steve kisses his throat and murmurs, “It’s not extortion. I’m just trying to keep you from thinking too much. That amazing brain of yours isn’t always your friend.” He lets him go long enough to jerk his fly open and release his own aching dick. He spits in his palm, takes them both in hand and thrusts, groaning at the feel of Tony sliding against him, sweat and pre-come easing the glide. “Don’t think, Tony. Just tell me the truth.”

“The truth is that you have a perfect goddamn cock, and it’s not fair to use it against me this way.” He writhes hard in Steve’s grasp. “Dear god, the things I would do for your fucking cock.”

Steve huffs a breath against Tony’s neck and says, “You started this, Tony, trying to distract me with sex. These hit and run plays you’ve been using to keep me at a distance aren’t going to work anymore. I know you too damn well now.”

Something flickers in Tony’s eyes. “You know me? No, you don’t. You fuck me.” He arches up against Steve, challenge in his face. “So fuck me now. Come on, just bend me over the car and fuck me.”

Steve glares right back at him. “Is that what you want? You want me to use you?” He pushes in closer. “Want me to hurt you, Tony?”

Tony keens and throws his head back, hands scrabbling for purchase against the smooth surface of the car. “Yes. Do it. Just fucking do it already.”

Steve licks a stripe up his exposed throat and nips at his ear. “No.” Tony twists in his grasp and sobs, but Steve holds on and whispers in his ear, “I am not going to hurt you.”

Tony grabs fistfuls of Steve’s jacket and holds on as he bites out, “This _is not_ fair. You make me so fucking crazy.”

Steve laughs again, feeling a little crazy himself. “You were crazy before I ever met you. You can’t blame me for that.” He squeezes the flesh in his hand until Tony moans again, the sound of it almost enough to push Steve right over the edge. He leans his head against Tony’s and gulps air. “Tell me, Tony. Tell me that we’re together. I’m not asking for more than that right now.”

Tony looks away and spits out, “Might as well just hand you the knife and ask you to gut me.”

Steve grabs Tony’s chin and turns his head back. “Trust I won’t do it.” He stares, unblinking, into Tony’s eyes as he keeps thrusting against him. “I’m not asking for anything that I won’t give back. I promise.”

Tony leans into him, eyes wide open and so, so close. “Damn it, fine! You win, you win, you fucking win! We’re together. Just kiss me already.”

Steve presses into him and kisses him as deep as he can, bending him backward over the small sports car. He feels Tony’s hand close over his own and moans into Tony’s mouth, pulls back to mutter, “yesyesyesohgodyes,” against Tony’s lips. Tony comes first, all over their hands and their dicks, and now the slide is wet and slick and Steve follows close behind, biting a bruise into Tony’s neck to keep from screaming.

He stays like that for a moment, mouthing at Tony’s throat and getting his breath back under control, until he feels Tony’s free hand run through his hair and hears him say, “Hey, c’mon. I’m too old to stay bent backward like this for long.”

Steve pulls Tony’s hand up inside his jacket and wipes both their hands on his shirt, then maneuvers them so they’re sitting on the ground against the car, Tony wrapped up in his arms. “No more of this, ok? Tell me if you need some time alone, but don’t run away from me.”

Tony just drops his head against Steve’s shoulder and says, “Sure, sure, whatever. I surrender. No more running. You got me.”

Steve drops his head against Tony’s and breathes into his hair. “Good.”

 

Steve texts Clint and lets him know that everything is ok and they’ll see everyone back at the house. The Cobra is small and even more uncomfortable than Natasha’s car, but he loves the ride home with the top down with the wind whipping around them. Tony takes the long way and they arrive some time after the others. Nobody says anything when Steve goes to take off his jacket and comes back wearing a different shirt, although Clint does make a face at him when no one else is looking. Thor hugs them both within an inch of their lives, pounding them on their backs, and Natasha pulls Tony’s collar away from his neck to pointedly examine the bruise there. Bruce makes pancakes and they all sit together at the kitchen table having their late-night breakfast. When they crawl into bed that night, Tony mutters something about how everyone is on Steve’s side. Steve just pulls him in and says, “No, they’re on our side.”

 

When Steve wakes up, he reaches out across the bed for Tony, but finds he’s in the bed alone. He sighs without opening his eyes. He’s bracing himself for another chase--dear god, just let him be in the damn workshop--when he feels the bed dip beside him, and then again on the other side.

He opens his eyes to find Tony on his hands and knees over him, naked, the arc reactor a pale, pale blue in the early morning gloom. “Good morning.” 

Tony tilts his head and regards him. “Good morning yourself. I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You know you sleep like the dead?”

Before Steve can answer, JARVIS makes an announcement. “Captain Rogers, Director Fury is calling for you.”

Tony drops his head and sighs. “JARVIS, you have the worst timing ever.”

“Technically, it’s Director Fury’s timing that’s the problem, sir.”

Steve breaks in before Tony can say anything else. “Do you know if it’s an emergency, JARVIS?”

“I don’t believe it is, Captain. I asked if I should rouse everyone, but Director Fury said he just needed to speak to you.”

Steve looks at Tony. “I think he probably wants to know about last night. I should take the call.”

Tony shakes his head. “Later. It won’t hurt him to wait.” He sits back on his heels and says, “Jarvis, tell Fury that Steve will call him after I’m done with him. Well, if I leave him capable of speech.”

“He’s really quite insistent, sir.”

“Tough. Tell him that he can wait for Steve to call him, or he can talk to me, and I will describe to him in detail everything that I am doing to the Captain to keep him away from the phone.”

There’s silence for a time, then JARVIS says, “Director Fury will expect your call later today, Captain.”

Steve is trying hard not to laugh. “I’m willing to bet he didn’t put it quite that way.”

“No, Captain, but I don’t feel comfortable using that language.”

Tony scowls. “How the hell did you turn out so delicate? I’m sure I didn’t program you that way.”

“You programmed me to be discreet, sir. You needed someone who could be. I’ll leave the two of you alone now.”

Tony comes forward onto his hands again, kneeling over Steve. “He knows when to make an exit anyway.”

“True. Now, where were we?” Steve starts to lift up to kiss Tony, but Tony pulls back.

“Nope, no kissing.” He smiles a smile that would have been sharky once upon a time. “I want to see if I can still get you off without touching you.”

Steve smiles back and tucks his hands behind his head. “Talk to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't forget about it! The holidays ate me and then this story gave me. So. Much. Trouble. Thanks as always to kassidy, especially this time since she talked me down, more than once, from just trashing the thing altogether.
> 
> I swear I have no idea how things got so schmoopy. 
> 
> The series is finished (for now--never say never and all that). I have a long, plotty thing in mind I want to try next. Steve/Tony, of course, because they have really just moved into my brain and made themselves comfortable. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has read, kudoed(kudosed?), and commented. You guys are the best : )


End file.
